Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 December 2023.

Explanation of vote by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Gaza.

Thank you, President.

We are gravely concerned about the desperate situation in Gaza. The scale of civilian deaths and displacement in Gaza cannot continue. We welcomed the extended humanitarian pause last month and the release of hostages and humanitarian aid deliveries that took place during it. We call for further and longer pauses to get aid to Palestinians and allow space for further hostage releases.

But we cannot vote in favour of a resolution which does not condemn the atrocities Hamas committed against innocent Israeli civilians on the 7th of October. Calling for a ceasefire ignores the fact that Hamas has committed acts of terror and is still holding civilians hostage.

Israel needs to be able to address the threat posed by Hamas and it needs to do so in a manner that abides by international humanitarian law, so that such an attack can never be carried out again. And so that we can work meaningfully towards a two-state solution, which delivers statehood for the Palestinians, security for Israel, and peace for people on both sides.

That’s why we abstained on this resolution.

Thank you, President.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 December 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Transnational Organised Crime.

Thank you, President, and thank you for calling this valuable, Open Debate. I also thank the Secretary-General and our other distinguished and thought-provoking briefers this morning.

The United Kingdom agrees with the Secretary-General that we can deepen cooperation to tackle the complex threat of Transnational Organised Crime and find global solutions to it.

The UK is pleased to be working with the Ecuadorian Government and with many other governments across the world in these efforts.

I would like to stress three points.

First, as we’ve heard, the impact of organised crime globally is significant. Organised criminal networks are exacerbating conflict, instability and the negative effect of climate change around the globe, taking advantage of geopolitical, economic and technological shifts.

Organised crime, corruption and illicit finance drain resources and undermine societies. Online threats including cybercrime, fraud and new technologies such as AI are exacerbating these risks.

Second, without the security that comes from effectively tackling Transnational Organised Crime, economic development, state-building and poverty reduction is really not possible. Crime and gender considerations should be incorporated into development and security approaches.

Traditional law enforcement should be combined with wider efforts to address the drivers of crime, for example, poor governance or poverty, to address the enablers of crime, for example, illicit finance or corruption, and to address the harms that crime produces, including by protecting victims and returning assets.

The United Kingdom is committed to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, and the UNODC. We funded the development of an UNODC Organised Crime Strategy Toolkit to help Member States develop their own national organised crime strategies. We are pleased that many countries are using the toolkit.

Finally, President, we welcome the efforts by the UN and other organisations to adapt to the escalating challenges and better coordinate with wider security, development and economic work including alongside the private sector and civil society. The Council and the wider UN can provide further leadership on this and support its acceleration.

The United Kingdom fully supports both the Women and Youth, Peace and Security agendas to help build community resilience and reduce recruitment into organised crime groups.

President, in closing, thank you for this debate, and we remain committed to working together to fight and prevent Transnational Organised Crime.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 December 2023.

The UK condemns Russia’s sustained attempts at political interference in the UK and globally.

• the KGB’s successor agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB) is behind sustained unsuccessful attempts to interfere in UK political processes
• targets include politicians, civil servants, journalists, NGOs and other civil society organisations
• in response, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has sanctioned individuals involved in the group’s activity and summoned the Russian Ambassador

The UK and allies have today (December 7th) exposed a series of attempts by the Russian Intelligence Services to target high-profile individuals and entities through cyber operations. The UK Government judges that this was done with the intent to use information obtained to interfere in UK politics and democratic processes.

Centre 18, a unit within Russia’s Intelligence Services, the FSB, has been identified as being accountable for a range of cyber espionage operations targeting the UK.

The activity was in turn conducted by Star Blizzard; a group that the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ – assesses is almost certainly subordinate to FSB Centre 18.

While some attacks resulted in documents being leaked, attempts to interfere with UK politics and democracy have not been successful.

Star Blizzard is also commonly known as Callisto Group, SEABORGIUM or COLDRIVER and is operated by FSB officers. The group has also selectively leaked and amplified the release of information in line with Russian confrontation goals, including to undermine trust in politics in the UK and likeminded states.

In particular, the UK has identified the FSB – through the activity conducted by Star Blizzard – as being involved in the following:

• targeting, including spear-phishing, of parliamentarians from multiple political parties, from at least 2015 through to this year.
• the hack of UK-US trade documents that were leaked ahead of the 2019 General Election – previously attributed to the Russian state via Written Ministerial Statement in 2020.
• the 2018 hack of the Institute for Statecraft, a UK thinktank whose work included initiatives to defend democracy against disinformation, and the more recent hack of its founder Christopher Donnelly, whose account was compromised from December 2021; in both instances documents were subsequently leaked.
• targeting of universities, journalists, public sector, non-government organisations and other civil society organisations, many of whom play a key role in UK democracy

Following a National Crime Agency investigation, the UK has today sanctioned two members of Star Blizzard for their involvement in the preparation of spear-phishing campaigns and associated activity that resulted in unauthorised access and exfiltration of sensitive data, which was intended to undermine UK organisations and more broadly, the UK government.

These sanctions have been delivered jointly with the US, and are the latest in our bilateral efforts to counter Russian malicious cyber activity that seeks to undermine our, and our allies’, integrity and prosperity. The US Department of Justice have concurrently unsealed indictments against the individuals designated today.

The individuals being designated in the UK and US are:

• Ruslan Aleksandrovich PERETYATKO, who is a Russian FSB intelligence officer and a member of Star Blizzard AKA the Callisto Group
• Andrey Stanislavovich KORINETS, AKA Alexey DOGUZHIEV, who is a member of Star Blizzard AKA the Callisto Group

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has also summoned the Russian Ambassador to express the UK’s deep concern about Russia’s sustained attempts to use cyber to interfere in political and democratic processes in the UK and beyond.

In a statement to the House earlier today the Minister for Europe Leo Docherty emphasised that attempts to interfere with UK politics and democracy have not been successful. However, it is likely that Russia and other adversaries will continue to make attempts to use cyber means to interfere in UK politics. The NCSC alongside the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada will today publish a cyber security advisory to inform network defenders of how to mitigate this activity, and NCSC will publish guidance for high-risk individuals whilst providing further information around support available.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

Russia’s attempts to interfere in UK politics are completely unacceptable and seek to threaten our democratic processes.

Despite their repeated efforts, they have failed.

In sanctioning those responsible and summoning the Russian Ambassador today, we are exposing their malign attempts at influence and shining a light on yet another example of how Russia chooses to operate on the global stage.

We will continue to work together with our allies to expose Russian covert cyber activity and hold Russia to account for its actions.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said:

As I warned earlier this year, state actors, and the ‘Wagner-style’ sub-state hackers they use to do their dirty work, will continue to target our public institutions and our democratic processes.

We will continue to call this activity out, to raise our defences, and to take action against the perpetrators.

Online is the new frontline. We are taking a whole of society approach to ensuring we have the robust systems and cutting-edge skills needed to resist these attempts to undermine our democracy.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said:

An attack against our democratic institutions is an attack on our most fundamental British values and freedoms. The UK will not tolerate foreign interference and through the National Security Act, we are making the UK a harder operating environment for those seeking to interfere in our democratic institutions.

The activity announced today is part of a broader pattern of malign cyber activity conducted by the Russian Intelligence Services across the globe. In recent years the UK and allies have exposed Russian Intelligence for their role in ViaSat, SolarWinds, and targeting of Critical National Infrastructure. In May, the NCSC alongside Five Eye partners exposed a sophisticated cyberespionage tool designed and used by Centre 16 of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) for long-term intelligence collection on sensitive targets.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 December 2023.

On behalf of the UK and Canada, Ambassador Neil Holland welcomes the ongoing work of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and urges him to continue this vital work.

Thank you, Mr Chair. I’m delivering this statement on behalf of the UK and Canada. Welcome, High Commissioner, dear Kairat, back to the Permanent Council. Congratulations on the 30th anniversary of the High Commissioner on National Minorities and for the extension of your appointment for a further 9 months. We thank you once again for your willingness to continue this important role at such a late stage. As we said during last week’s Ministerial Council, it’s regretful that this extension is shorter than ideal, but had to be accepted as an exceptional, temporary measure.

High Commissioner, thank you for updating us today on your report and for your address. We are grateful for the range of efforts undertaken by your Office, including your visits to, and dialogues with, many participating States. We support your mandate and your team’s work in promoting human rights for all, including those belonging to national minorities across the OSCE region. This is a crucial part of sustainable security, a vital aspect of conflict prevention and early warning, and a key element of peaceful resolution.

Your report sets out that Ukraine remains at the top of your agenda.  We welcome that and urge you to continue to prioritise this work. Civilians in Ukraine must be protected, including national minorities. Let us not forget that, at the same time as having to fight a war, Ukraine has made – and is making – progress on inclusivity and diversity. We echo your calls for a peaceful resolution to the war which must be in line with the principles of the UN Charter, and for the protection of all national minorities in the region. The best way to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all people in Ukraine including minorities, is for Russia to withdraw its troops from the whole of Ukraine.

Russia must respect international law, and that includes minority rights, outside of and inside Russia. Ethnic minorities within Russia have been disproportionately targeted by mobilisation.

Russia must cooperate and grant access to your team to areas temporarily under its control.

Russia must respect the rights of minority groups. And we deplore Russia’s attempts to undermine Ukrainian identity in the four oblasts it illegally claims to have annexed, as well as its targeting of Crimean Tatars in illegally annexed Crimea.

We appreciate your work across the OSCE region including in Albania, Moldova, Central Asia and Northern Europe, and the continued cooperation between participating States and your office. We welcome your assistance to Georgia, particularly in the face of continued Russian hybrid aggression.

We would particularly like to commend and draw attention to the following areas of your work:

• your support on multilingual education and with national minority youth.
• your thematic work including alongside ODIHR to address statelessness.
• the attention you have given to the intersectionality of gender and national minorities, and your acknowledgment that women with a minority background face unique and multiple challenges.
• women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in all aspects of public life, including in peace and security.

And on this last area, we were pleased to hear that you continue to explore these issues including through research, discussions, and engagements. We would encourage further work in this area and look forward to hearing reports of future progress on this topic.

In conclusion, High Commissioner, we are strong supporters of your institution and your work. We wish you and your team all the best over the coming months. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 December 2023.

Ambassador Neil Holland welcomes the address by the Personal Representatives, and underlines the UK’s commitment to defending freedom of religion or belief.

Rabbi Baker and Dr Polack, welcome back to the Permanent Council, and thank you for your statements.

The UK remains committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Protecting and promoting these freedoms is one of the UK’s longstanding human rights commitments, and is at the heart of our shared OSCE principles.

Hand-in-hand with any commitment to protecting freedom of religion or belief must come a commitment to tackling intolerance, discrimination, and hatred – not only on the basis of religion or belief, but in all of its repugnant forms. Our ‘Inclusive Britain’ action plan supports us in doing this through its three-pronged approach of boosting confidence in our institutions, advancing equality of opportunity, and fostering greater belonging.

One of the greatest challenges we currently face on this front is the chilling and unprecedented rise in antisemitism that we are witnessing across the world. Sadly, hate crime has surged globally since the barbaric attacks against Israeli civilians by Hamas on 7 October. That one of the many terrible consequences of this attack has been a wave of antisemitism is baffling and deplorable.

The UK is clear: antisemitism is evil and has no place in our – or any – society. We stand with the Jewish community, and we will never waiver in our fight against the scourge of antisemitism. The UK Government is proud to have been the first country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in 2016.

In tandem with our work to tackle antisemitism, the UK is committed to international co-operation to promote education, remembrance, and research about the Holocaust. As one of the founding signatories of the Stockholm Declaration, we pledged that the terrible events of the Holocaust would remain forever seared in our collective memory.

The UK has the privilege of taking on the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in March 2024. The theme of our presidency will be “In Plain Sight”, drawing attention to the fact that the Holocaust did not happen unseen. It will highlight the nature of society that allowed the murder of six million Jewish men, women and children, shine a spotlight on all of those who had a part to play, and explore the circumstances that led to the Holocaust.

We will focus on promoting remembrance of the Holocaust and safeguarding the narrative for future generations. In particular, we hope to reach thousands of young people across the IHRA’s member states during our presidency, and help them to learn and understand the truth about the terrible atrocities that took place in their hometowns.

We must also recognise and address the continued rise of Holocaust distortion and the impact of new technologies upon it. During our presidency and in cooperation with the OSCE, we will bring together a range of experts – from fields including AI and social media. We will explore how to tackle distortion, including how to counter the threats posed by deepfake technology and disinformation online.

As you have both made clear, the consequences of intolerance, discrimination and hatred are all too evident.  Our OSCE commitments provide us with the tools we need.  We must, together, tackle this scourge, and promote inclusive societies that respect freedom of religion or belief.

Thank you, Rabbi Baker and Dr Polack for being with us today and for all your work over the year.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 December 2023.

Ambassador Neil Holland says that the UK and partners will stand alongside Ukraine to protect its future, as well as protecting the OSCE.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

Since Russia’s illegal and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 the UK has pledged to use this forum to support our Ukrainian friends and colleagues and to hold Russia to account for its actions. Indeed, at last week’s Ministerial Council, my Foreign Secretary said, that this organisation plays a key role in doing both of these. So, each week, we call out Russia’s complete disregard for the OSCE’s founding principles, as shown through its assault on Ukrainian territorial integrity and Ukrainian life.

Russia claims to defend the consensus principle. And yet it is all but isolated in this forum (and others) on a regular and sustained basis. We have seen decision after decision subjected to attack through the need to find consensus. This is the abuse of a tool that was designed for use by participating States that shared a common wish to find solutions. That is clearly not the case now.  So, we have to conclude that this insistence on consensus – against the overwhelming weight of opinion on many different subjects is not actually a defence of the principle but actually a defence of obstructionism.

Last week at the Ministerial Council we saw the latest example of this dynamic. In Skopje, there was a broad consensus across the community in condemning Russia’s actions and underlining unwavering support to Ukraine. This was not a terrible conspiracy by the so-called ‘collective west’.  It was a simple and widely expressed disapproval of what Russia has done by invading its neighbour and upending its commitments to the Helsinki principles.

The encouraging news is that the international community remains united behind Ukraine. On 23 February 2023, 141 UN members voted to demand that Russia withdraw its troops. 29 countries have now signed a Joint Declaration pledging to negotiate long-term security commitments with Ukraine, to help to sustain its ability to defend itself.

The UK is rolling out sanctions against Russia in lockstep with our partners. Alongside substantial packages of bilateral support for Ukraine, the international community has come together to provide humanitarian support to Ukraine through the international system response, coordinated by the UN, Red Cross movement and NGOs. This again underlines the unified response in support for Ukraine and brings Russia’s isolation into relief.

The UK and the international community stand against Russia’s aggression. The UK will continue to join the vast majority of states here in continuing to support Ukraine’s freedom and sovereignty. We will not be deterred or lose interest. Now is not the time to falter. Ukraine can and must win this war.

Mr Chair, the UK will stand alongside Ukraine to protect its future. The UK will also continue to protect the OSCE, standing alongside participating States and colleagues to ensure that the consensus principle is not abused. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 December 2023.

UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Russia’s casualty figures are now over 300,000 in its illegal war, which is an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.

As Russian Forces continue to attack around Avdiivka, they do so at an enormous cost, sustaining upwards of one thousand casualties a day. In this ill-judged act of strategic folly, Russia has invited this huge loss of life upon itself and with it, a diminishment in the eyes of a large part of the international community. Conservative estimates now assess Russia’s casualty figures at over 300,000 killed and wounded. The terrible tragedy of this illegal invasion is a damning indictment of Russia’s poorly-trained, poorly-equipped and poorly-led military. But the real tragedy is that the Ukrainian people have had to endure untold misery and heartache in a conflict imposed upon them.

In Russia, the devastation of the Russian military is being increasingly felt by the civil population. Recently, the Russian Field polling agency reported that the proportion of those who want the government to enter peace talks with Ukraine exceeds the proportion of those who want the war to continue. This is consistent with a number of polls in Russia which have shown the same sentiment over the last year. In spite of the repressive conditions in Russia against public protest, Russian soldiers’ wives recently gathered in Moscow’s Teatralnya Square demanding a rotation of their partners away from the frontline. The protest was broken up within minutes by police. On 27 November, one prominent online group for soldiers’ wives published a manifesto against ‘indefinite mobilisation’; the group was subsequently pinned with a ‘fake’ warning label. Kremlin efforts are now underway to either pay them off or discredit them.

Ukraine has achieved significant military successes in the Black Sea by denying Russia control of the western Black sea, pushed back elements of the Russian Navy over 300 km from Sevastopol and destroyed 13-14% of Russia’s Black Sea combatant fleet. This has enabled Ukraine to establish a maritime corridor for its exports, used by increasing flows of shipping, which will boost its economy and global food security. Russia has failed in its attempts to prevent Ukraine exporting its goods.

But, faced with all this, Russia has only escalated its attacks on the Ukrainian people – with terrible effects for civilian areas and critical national infrastructure across the country. Russia has launched waves of Iranian-designed one-way-attack uncrewed aerial vehicles as part of a concerted winter campaign of strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russia has comprehensively ruined the town of Marinka with a pre-war population of 9,000 inhabitants, and all the while this conflict has triggered serious safety concerns at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant which, last week, was disconnected from the national electricity grid for the eighth time.

Madam Chair, Russia’s assault on Ukraine was an unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic State. Week after week, the Russian delegation expounds narratives that sow disinformation about the culpability of ‘the West’ for Russia’s illegal invasion. But the truth is that no one forced Russia to attack another sovereign State; Russia did this of its own volition. This Forum went to every effort to prevent Russia’s invasion, but on the eve of war Russia categorically denied to this Forum that Russia would invade Ukraine. On 23 February 2022, the Russian delegation are on record as stating, “The idea of there being plans for a “Russian invasion” of Ukraine was hatched inside the US Department of State, and that is where it also died on 16 February. We can see that US intelligence got its facts mixed up”. In this context, it is fitting that the side event on ‘Information Integrity in the Military Space’ was held two weeks ago in spite of Russia’s obstruction.

During the Russian delegation’s ‘Right-of-Reply’ when this Forum last convened, it accused ‘the West’ of “tearing Ukraine away from Russia”. Russia has also used similar language recently concerning other members of this Forum. This is indicative of Russia’s continued contempt for international law. Ukraine is a sovereign independent State, recognised in international law by Russia as such on 2 December 1991, so there is nothing to ‘tear away’. The Ukrainian people have the right to self-determination and the Russian government’s reprehensible actions are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.

Madam Chair, in the face of Russia’s illegal actions, the United Kingdom will continue to stand in support of Ukraine. The UK’s total military, humanitarian and economic package for Ukraine now amounts to £9.3 billion. As stated by the Foreign Secretary during his recent visit to Kyiv, we will continue our support, “not just this year and next year but for as long as it takes”. Already, we see what the brave men and women of Ukraine’s Armed Forces are capable of, pushing Russian troops away from the Dnipro River area. The Russian Ministry of Defence has referred to this as “relocating to more favourable positions”. Russia should recognise its grave strategic error and move to the most favourable position of all: out of Ukraine’s internationally-recognised sovereign territory. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 December 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

Thank you President and I thank ASG Jenča and Director Rajasingham for their briefings today and for the work of your teams. President, it’s now nearly two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, illegally and brutally.  Russia has killed Ukrainian men, women and children, and denied their future. Russia has injured men, women and children, and destroyed the hospitals where they might seek care.

Russia has destroyed civilian infrastructure: hospitals, schools, homes, playgrounds, theaters, roads and railways. And, as winter approaches, Russia is now targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. But Russia has not broken the spirit and resolve of the Ukrainian people. Nor our determination to support them.

So first, we commend the work of the Ukrainian organisations and volunteer networks who are providing life-saving humanitarian support. My Foreign Secretary met with some of these organisations during his recent visit to Ukraine and was struck by their courage and bravery. We will continue to support their work and we urge the UN and other colleagues to do the same.

Second, over 17 million Ukrainians need humanitarian assistance as we’ve heard. But Russia continues to deny and block humanitarian access to millions of Ukrainians living in the territories temporarily under Russia’s control leaving those people severely short of food, fuel and water as winter sets in. So we call on Russia to comply fully with its obligations under international humanitarian law and allow humanitarians to operate safely in these territories, and to deliver aid to millions of people who desperately need it.

Third, like others, we welcome the establishment of a maritime corridor in the Black Sea, which has now enabled Ukraine to supply five million tonnes of grain to global markets. Russia’s attempts to prevent Ukraine from exporting its grain by attacking its ports, holding the world’s food to ransom, have failed.

We will continue to work with Ukraine and other partners to ensure the security of the corridor and to protect global food security.

President, Russia has caused humanitarian suffering through its invasion of Ukraine. So we again urge Russia to end its war now by withdrawing from Ukraine’s internationally recognised territory.

I thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 December 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, gave a statement during Hong Kong, China’s WTO Trade Policy Review (TPR).

1. Chair, let me join others in welcoming the delegation from Hong Kong, China, led by Director-General of Trade and Industry, Ms. Wong. Let me also express my gratitude to the wider delegation, ably led in Geneva by Permanent Representative Miss So, and to colleagues from the WTO Secretariat for their respective reports; to the Chair, as ever; and to our Discussant for his comments.
2. Chair, the UK and Hong Kong, China enjoy people-to-people, cultural, and trade ties. UK companies continue to operate in Hong Kong, China, valuing its historic reputation for strong institutions and respect for the rule of law, its open and predictable business environment, and its status as a global financial centre.
3. Hong Kong, China is the UK’s 13th largest trading partner. Our total trade in goods and services has reached almost £30 billion in 2023. It is our second largest market for goods in Asia-Pacific, after mainland China. And it was the destination for almost £80 billion of UK Foreign Direct Investment in 2021.
4. However, despite Hong Kong, China’s commitment to free trade, there remain untapped opportunities, such as the 100% ad valorem excise tax that it places on beverage alcohol products, which are over 30% alcohol by volume. Not only has this tax led to significant price disparities between wine and spirits, but its ad valorem nature effectively penalises higher-value and higher-quality spirits.
5. Besides making British businesses very happy, a reduction in spirit taxation would help to support the recovery of Hong Kong, China’s hospitality and tourism industry. It would also enhance the restaurant scene that makes Hong Kong, China one of the world’s gastronomic gems, allowing diners to responsibly enjoy the best of UK gin, Scotch whisky, or any other of the countless high-quality UK spirits.
6. And yet, Chair, despite the myriad of global trade challenges we face, the current trading relationship between Hong Kong, China and the UK remains strong. One of the most significant reasons for this is our shared commitment to free and open trade, which is underpinned by our historical ties. As promised in 1997, Hong Kong, China remains a separate customs territory, retains its free port status, and does not levy tariffs on the import of goods.
7. Chair, Hong Kong, China is a valued member of the WTO. Its strength rests on the reputation and integrity of its institutions, its independent regulators, and the independence of its Common Law Legal system, which offers effective dispute resolution systems in commercial cases to high standards. They are a fundamental part of why UK businesses continue to choose to operate in Hong Kong, China.
8. The UK’s strong interest in seeing Hong Kong, China prosper is evidenced in the promises we made, together with China, in the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984.  The Joint Declaration guarantees the continuation of Hong Kong, China’s high degree of autonomy, social and economic systems, lifestyle, and rights and freedoms for 50 years from 1997. The UK remains committed to ensuring that these promises, made by both countries, are upheld.
9. However, China is now in an ongoing state of non-compliance with the Joint Declaration. Hong Kong, China’s capitalist economic, monetary and financial systems remain distinct and robust, but actions taken by China, such as the imposition of the National Security Law, as well as the actions taken by the authorities of Hong Kong, China, continue to erode many of the civil and political rights guaranteed in the Joint Declaration and Hong Kong, China’s Basic Law.
10. This, in turn, puts at risk confidence in the effective governance, fair judiciary, and independent regulation, which makes Hong Kong, China such a great place to do business. Given Hong Kong, China’s significant role as a regional trade and economic hub, these actions also risk harming China’s own economic development in the long term.
11. The UK therefore maintains that unwavering commitment to upholding the promises made in the Sino-British Joint Declaration is not only the best way to support our own trading relationship, but also the best way to safeguard its long-term prosperity and ensure that Hong Kong, China continues to be a crucial part of the world economy.
12. Chair, I would like to conclude by welcoming the role that Hong Kong, China plays in supporting the world economy through its full and active engagement within the WTO. The UK welcomes Hong Kong, China’s participation in a range of Joint Initiatives, and most notably its recent efforts to help conclude substantive negotiations on Investment Facilitation for Development, as well as its ratification of the fisheries subsidies agreement. But like others, we were disappointed in the role that Hong Kong, China played in blocking consensus on selecting the Chair of the Government Procurement Committee. I hope that Hong Kong, China will continue to use its influence in the WTO to advance free trade; promote important reforms; and work together with other Members to conclude an ambitious fisheries agreement heading into Ministerial Conference 13.
13. Finally, as one of the three co-chairs of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender, let me also welcome Hong Kong, China’s initiatives to promote women’s empowerment, such as the Women Empowerment Fund, and thank them for providing further information on the role of the Women’s Commission in their answers to our Advanced Written Questions.
14. Thank you, Chair, and Discussant for facilitating this Trade Policy Review, and to the delegation of Hong Kong, China for its full cooperation with this important exercise in transparency.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 December 2023.

David Cameron is making his first visit to Washington DC as Foreign Secretary to reaffirm the strength of the UK-US relationship and support for Ukraine.

The Foreign Secretary will travel to the United States today (Wednesday 6 December) to reaffirm both the strength of the UK’s relationship with its closest strategic ally and our unwavering support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

He will also discuss the Middle East, getting humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict in Gaza and how the UK and US can work towards enabling a long-term two-state solution which allows both Israelis and Palestinians to live together in peace.

In his first visit to Washington DC as Foreign Secretary, David Cameron will discuss how the enduring partnership between the UK and US is delivering security and prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic and upholding democratic values where they are threatened around the world.

It comes as the UK will, on Wednesday, target military suppliers who are propping up Putin’s war machine through a series of sanctions. Foreign suppliers exporting equipment and parts to Russia are among dozens of individuals and groups to be sanctioned to starve Putin of the resources he needs for his illegal war in Ukraine.

Ahead of the visit, the Foreign Secretary has announced a new winter humanitarian response package of £29 million for Ukraine and will bolster support with a further £7.75 million for humanitarian activities that will focus on the needs of the most vulnerable in Ukraine, such as women, girls, older people and people with disabilities.

Funding allocations are part of the UK’s overall £127 million of humanitarian support to Ukraine and the region in 2023 to 2024, as announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in June.

The Foreign Secretary will hold an intensive round of diplomatic talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to reaffirm international cooperation and support for the Ukrainian people as they approach two years of battling Russian forces.

While in Washington, the Foreign Secretary will also meet key Congressional figures on both sides of the House.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

The UK and the US are deeply bound by a shared mission to defend the values that provide security and prosperity for us all.

That is why we remain unwavering in our support of Ukraine. If we allow Putin’s aggression to succeed, it will embolden those who challenge democracy and threaten our way of life. We cannot let them prevail.

We also stand united in the Middle East, working together to ensure long-term security and stability in the region, and in responding to the challenges posed by China.

The UK’s steadfast support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression was highlighted by David Cameron choosing to travel to Kyiv last month for his first overseas visit as Foreign Secretary.

The UK’s total military, humanitarian and economic support for Ukraine now amounts to £9.3 billion.

The UK and US are equally united in promoting prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific as they respond to the epoch-defining challenge of China, and the Foreign Secretary will discuss how the UK is strengthening national security protections, while engaging where it is consistent with the UK’s national interest.

The Foreign Secretary’s visit also reflects the immense value the UK places on its trade relationship with the US and will build on work to deliver the Atlantic Declaration, a first-of-a kind economic partnership which was agreed by the Prime Minister and President Biden earlier this year and will see the UK and US working together more closely than ever across the full spectrum of economic, technological, commercial and trade relations.

With the UK and US sharing a $1 trillion investment relationship, a re-energised and enhanced economic relationship presents huge opportunities for people and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic – supporting the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy and create better paying jobs.

During his visit to Washington, David Cameron will set out the UK’s foreign policy priorities at a live event at the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday.

Background

• The Foreign Secretary’s address to the Aspen Security Forum will be livestreamed
• after the US, the UK is the second largest donor of military assistance to Ukraine, committing £4.6 billion to the country so far
• the UK’s £29 million winter humanitarian response package for Ukraine will go towards supporting the UN and Red Cross, with roughly half of it supporting winter allocations for the UN-managed Ukraine Humanitarian Fund
• the US trades more with the UK than any other individual country. The investment relationship is worth over a trillion dollars, and bilateral trade was worth £310 billion in the 4 quarters to the end of quarter 2 2023
• the UK has already signed 7 individual arrangements with Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, Oklahoma, Washington and Florida, and is actively engaging with other states including Texas and California